In my line of work as a TV (and radio) critic, the chief occupational “hazard” — besides gaining weight from being a couch potato — is becoming addicted to shows.

A prudent soul avoids squandering one’s limited time on this Earth. Capt. James Cook, for example, discovered Australia and Hawaii and made three epic voyages by the time he died at age 51.

He didn’t have a TV.

Coincidence? I think not.

In the 1970s, I unknowingly became addicted to a soap opera. Never again, I vowed.

My friend Becky is an innkeeper. She’s also a political junkie who’s always got MSNBC on while she’s answering the phone, cooking breakfast for her guests or paying bills. And she’s not your “typical” TV addict, either: Becky has a degree from Harvard.

I’ve kidded the businesswoman for years about her MSNBC addiction, her overweening fondness for citing MSNBC star Chris Matthews.

But now, in this extraordinary election year, I’m becoming an addict of the increasingly popular, politically oriented network myself.

When MSNBC’s commercials come on, I quickly switch over to CNN for politics. But just the sight of Lou Dobbs, Larry King or Soledad O’Brien sends me packing. (I’ll even hold my nose and watch Fox News rather than those three.)

CNN’s Jack Cafferty, the last of TV’s hard-boiled, sleeves-rolled-up newsmen, is the best thing on CNN. I can even stomach the feckless Wolf Blitzer when “The Cafferty File” comes on CNN’s “Situation Room.” Cafferty, like MSNBC’s star Keith Olbermann, pulls no punches.

Someday, before long, when the Dems finally nominate a candidate, Olbermann may get his props.

Olbermann has almost single-handedly challenged George Bush daily as Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid demurred, to many Dems’ disgust.

Now the eloquent Olbermann can barely conceal his disgust with some of the sleazy tactics coming from Hillary Clinton and her people.

MSNBC has several rising stars behind Matthews and Olbermann — Dan Abrams, Joe Scarborough and his morning partner Mika Brzezinski (daughter of author and former Carter aide Zbigniev B.) among them. And the NBC-owned cable net’s future looks increasingly bright as more and more viewers pay serious attention to politics.

“Countdown” host Olbermann, alas, has lost one “regular” on his nightly “Worst Person in The World” roster: KSFO morning loudmouth Melanie Morgan was recently cut loose by the station, supposedly for budgetary reasons.

Or could it be because Morgan had become too much of an embarrassment to KGO-KSFO’s new owners? Ann Coulter wannabe Melanie’s comments about gassing the New York Times’ editor and using Pelosi as a target may have caused some squeamishness in the corporate offices of Citadel Broadcasting.

Citadel and KGO management have just had to deal with the sleazy Bernie Ward affair. Ultra-obnoxious human bullhorn Ward was ousted after kiddie-porn charges were revealed against him. While I may agree with much of Ward’s politics, his KGO show was often a disgrace. So, too, is that of KGO’s late-night tonsil Ray Taliaferro, who, like Ward, incessantly hectors callers who don’t agree with his exalted views.

At some point, Citadel might even wonder why the embarrassing Morgan was kept on the payroll so long even after she made the kind of extremist utterances that offend decent people of any political stripe. Or Citadel might also ask why KGO-KSFO uber-boss Mickey Luckoff originally hired right-wing hatemonger Michael Savage in the first place. Heedless, Morgan-like flamethrowing loudmouth Savage makes even Rush Limbaugh look reasonable by comparison.

KGO and KSFO may be successful financially, but they’re a disgrace to radio.